


Keep Me Safe

by fickle_fixations



Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Body Transfer, Diaval giving gifts, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Magic, Pre-Relationship, bones - Freeform, diaval being awkward, memories of pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27113080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fickle_fixations/pseuds/fickle_fixations
Summary: Diaval’s bird body has become weak and he finds himself in need of a new one. What he wasn’t expecting was being restored by means both physical and of the heart.Or, two goths falling for each other.Takes place in the middle of the first Maleficent movie.'Fluttering. Diaval realized that’s what his heart was doing. His heart was fluttering like a fledgeling leaving the nest for the first time. Excited and fearful and free.'
Relationships: Diaval & Maleficent (Disney), Diaval/Maleficent (Disney)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 104





	Keep Me Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from my Tumblr @fic-kle-fixations.
> 
> I hope you like it!

“Mistress,” Diaval began cautiously as he and Maleficent neared her home deep in the Moors. 

He held his breath for a moment, waiting to see if she would snap or turn him back into his original form.

She was silent, concentrating on each step. It still hurt her to walk. Ever since her wings were ripped from her and her back was damaged, it hurt to do almost everything.

“I was wondering if you were aware,” Diaval fumbled, “Well of course you are, but, I thought I’d take it upon myself to remind you,”

“Out with it,” she demanded.

“You see, ravens usually only live about fifteen years. The longest I ever saw was an old bird who lived to twenty, but Aroura is nearly eleven years old now and that would make me quite old for a raven. I can feel myself getting weaker every time I fly and-”

“I’ll get you a new body tomorrow.” 

Diaval halted abruptly. He blinked a few times, his gaze trained on her curiously.

He had expected her to say that he should just deal with it or that she would find a new creature to be her wings. But this? He had known Maleficent for most of the years of his life and, from what he could tell, this was a grand gesture.

Still a selfish one, in a sense, but still, she could have very easily replaced him. 

He kept walking and tried to hide his smile. He wondered if she could see very well in the dark.

The next morning, Diaval rose to keep watch with the sun, as he always did, though the night before he had hardly slept. He stayed up most of the night with questions swimming in his mind.

He wondered where this new body would come from. He wondered if he would be able to remember everything after he somehow inhabited this new body. He wondered if this really was a sliver of compassion in his cold mistress. He wondered why the thought of Maleficent doing something for him made him quiver and feel lightheaded and nearly weightless. 

He watched as the morning sun cast its warm light on his sleeping mistress.

The Moors began to come to life with sound and movement. Birds chirped and creatures flitted and scurried. Nyads sang from far upstream and the tree folk stirred but continued to slumber. 

And after a while, as she always did, his mistress awoke with a start, her eyes wild with fear. But, as always, it was only for a moment. 

She always looked peaceful when she slept and strong while she was awake.

Diaval was the only one who saw this part of her. The part of her underneath all the strength. The part of her that was plagued with fear and pain from her past. 

A moment later, her face was set in her usual cold expression again. Only then did he alight from his perch in the tree above her.

She turned him into his human form at just the right moment so his feet would touch the ground almost gracefully. He realized he couldn’t remember the last time he stumbled after being transformed. They had gotten quite used to little things like this. He quivered and felt light again.

“Good morning, Mistress.”

He always said that, though she hardly ever acknowledged it. When she did, it was usually with some harsh remark. 

“Diaval.” she replied simply as he handed her her staff.

Fluttering. Diaval realized that’s what his heart was doing. His heart was fluttering like a fledgeling leaving the nest for the first time. Excited and fearful and free.

Later that day, when the sun had just started to dim, Maleficent informed him it was time for them to get his new body.

As they began walking, Diaval was struck with a sudden, terrible realization. 

“Mistress,” he piped up, “I’m just now thinking that it really isn’t so bad after all. I’m sure if you turned me back to a raven right now I would feel as strong as ever! And, well if my wings ever do give out I could always walk.”

“What are you fussing about now?” Maleficent snapped, “Just yesterday you were whining and complaining about how weak you are and now you say you’re as strong as a young bird. Now which one is it? I won’t have you wasting my time, Diaval.”

The raven man ran his hands through his dirty, black hair, trying to figure out how to answer her without further inciting her anger. He looked down at the ground as he spoke.

“Well,” he began, rocking back and forth on his heels, “You see, mistress, while my body is becoming a bit weaker, I could never ask you to take the life of another raven simply for my gain. I don’t know how I would live with myself if-”

Diaval was cut off by the sound of Maleficent… laughing. He could hardly believe his ears. He looked back up at her and sure enough, she was laughing.

He had never heard her laugh before, besides a couple times when she was laughing at someone. But this was different. She sounded actually amused. Her laugh made him think he could imagine her actually being happy, once upon a time.

He saw her smile for a moment. Despite her fangs, her smile didn’t look menacing. He noticed how her eyes squinted just a little bit when she laughed. Her eyes or maybe her whole face just seemed a little brighter than they usually did.

In that moment, she looked to Diaval like a perfect mix between dark strength and the ghost of the bright, young, joyful faerie she once was, long before he met her. He couldn’t put words to how incredible she was to him. To him, she was beautiful.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, laughter still lingering in her voice, “You didn’t honestly think I would kill another raven to give you new wings?”

“I was worried for a moment.” Diaval tried to laugh it off as well, but he found it hard to rid himself of the fear he felt just minutes before. 

It was almost baffling to him that one person could fill him with so much fear and awe at the same time. But he never feared for his own life around Maleficent. No, he hadn’t felt that particular fear since the moment he met her.

“And here I thought you knew me,” she said, smirking.

They continued walking. She was leading him deep into the Moors. Deeper than he had ever gone. Even though the sun wasn’t getting any higher in the sky, the world around them seemed to grow brighter as time passed. The deeper into the Moors they went and the more dense the trees grew, the lighter the air became. Magic seemed to be stronger there. The depths of the Moors were full of life.

“We’re here.” Maleficent finally said.

To Diaval, they didn’t look to be anywhere in particular. She had stopped at a very ordinary looking patch of dirt at the base of a rather ordinary looking tree surrounded by very ordinary looking grass and foliage.

“Really?” he said sceptically.

“Really.” she said, flicking her hand and turning him into his raven form before he could ask anything else.

He instantly felt weak and tired again. He felt his bones creak with age and a heaviness in his head.

“Now,” she said, kneeling on the ground beside him, “This won’t take too long and this won’t hurt you as long as you work with me, and as long as you aren’t afraid. You have no reason to be afraid.”

Diaval shook out his wings and ruffled his feathers a bit. He turned his head to look up at her, first with one eye, then the other. In her eyes were nothing but calm and strength. How could he ever be afraid when he was looking into those eyes?

He nodded his head.

‘I trust you.’

She nodded in return, then reached back and plucked out one of his feathers. But her eyes never left his. 

He didn’t feel the need to caw in protest. It was hardly even painful. He just watched, transfixed as she worked.

She buried the feather in the dirt. She lay her hands on the patch of earth and it grew dark and moist. Something started to form beneath the dirt. As he watched whatever it was take shape, he felt her hand on the back of his head.

The body of a raven began to rise from the ground, but as it did so, he found it hard to concentrate on anything. His vision was getting blurry. He looked once more into Maleficent’s reassuring eyes before the world went black.

He awoke a few moments later. His vision and mind was still hazy but he felt a new life and strength in him. He saw that the other raven body was lying on the ground beside Maleficent, now. 

He watched as the feathers started to crumble. Then, all the feathers and flesh fell away to dust, leaving nothing but bones behind.

His mind was becoming clearer now and he stood, shakily to his feet. He realized the body beside Maleficent was in fact his old body. He was nothing but bones, but he was more alive than he had felt in a long time. He felt strong and he felt safe.

He looked up at her. He had always known she was powerful but he had never imagined she could do anything quite like this. He was grateful to her and he was in awe of her.

As much as she tried to present herself to the humans as a terrifying creature of death, he knew the truth. He saw it in how she protected and watched over Aurora. He saw it in how she paid attention to everything that went on in the Moors and how, deep down, all she wanted was for the other creatures to be safe from humans. He saw it now in how she had done this unbelievable act of giving him new life.

He saw her as a creature of life. One that he loved with his entire being.

That was the first time he had ever admitted it to himself. He loved Maleficent. The words felt as new to him as his new body did, but they felt just as fitting, too.

He hopped over to her, a bit wobbly on his new, youthful legs.

“Are you alright, Diaval?” she asked cautiously.

He cawwed and nodded. He looked down at the bones of his old body. He didn’t miss it as much as he thought he would, though he hated the thought of them just wasting away here in the middle of nowhere. 

He carefully separated his skull from the rest of the bones and laid it in Maleficent’s lap. Even though she didn’t know it, she held his heart, so it was only fitting that she be the keeper of his old body as well. He offered it to her as a symbol of his love and gratitude. His love that he thought he would never have the courage to admit in words.

She looked surprised, maybe even touched. She picked the skull up and held it gently in her hands.

“I shall keep it safe.” she said in a soft but resolute voice.

She wasn’t one for thanking people or saying ‘you’re welcome’ or anything of that nature, but he knew that her words meant so much more than that. Her words were an acknowledgment of his trust. He knew that, in a way, she cared for him too.

As she rose to her feet he decided to try flying with his new wings. He flew in tight circles not too far above her head. It felt so good to be able to fly without feeling tired as soon as he left the ground. He felt like he could fly faster than a hummingbird and higher than a dragon. Maybe he felt this way because of his new body, but maybe, this was just what it felt like to be in love.

* * *

About a week later, when he awoke in the nest he had built right beside where Maleficent slept, Diaval noticed a new ring on her outstretched right hand. He hopped nearer to his still-sleeping mistress’ hand. Upon further inspection he realized that the ring was made of the skull he had given her.

Pride swelled up in his chest.

She soon awoke, and this time, there was no blazing fear in her eyes.

He cawwed ‘good morning’ to her.

She didn’t respond but she sat up slowly, clutching at her back with her left hand. After over a decade, the place where her wings used to be still caused her pain nearly every day. Some days the pain was worse than others. Diaval knew that this physical pain always brought back terrible memories of however it was that she had lost her wings. Being in pain always made her angry and sad. Daival hated seeing her like that.

She squinted her eyes shut as she clutched at her back even tighter.

He cawwed at her, hoping to distract her from the pain.

“What,” she half-demanded, half-groaned as she opened her eyes again.

Diaval nodded at the ring on her right hand and puffed out his chest a little.

‘You liked it! You liked my gift!’

“Oh, stop being sentimental,” she said, rolling her eyes, “I’m simply keeping it safe, as I promised I would.”

Diaval flitted around a bit - if he were human at that moment he would have smiled.

“Now stop acting like a foolish little fledgling and help me stand up,” she sighed.

She flicked her right hand and he scrambled to his feet even while he was still transforming.

He held both her hands, steadying her as she stood. He absentmindedly brushed his thumb back and forth over the skull on her finger. He handed her her staff which she held in her left hand, while he still held her right. 

She looked down at their hands then back up at him, raising her eyebrow.

He couldn’t stop himself from grinning.

“It suits you.”

“I suppose it does.”


End file.
